Arrests, tickets mark start of notorious coast-to-coast race (Gumball Rally)

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 04/18/03 | Julian Guthrie

[MikalM]

Some of the world's fastest and most exotic cars tore out of San Francisco on Thursday night for the start of a mad cross-country caper that's as much about hard driving as hedonistic partying.

But the West Coast debut of the Gumball Rally, a notorious European road race marked by eye-popping speeding tickets, five-digit bar bills and the champagne-soaked antics of the effortlessly wealthy, resulted almost immediately in a police crackdown.

[Jhoffa_]

Damn..

It may just be time to put the ole' Camaro back together.

[Billthedrill]

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. While I enjoy driving as much as anyone, this is one of those deals that Mom used to talk about as being all in fun until someone's eye gets put out. "No civilian casualties" was the motto in the movie, but in real life not a lot of us commuting to work in '84 K-cars are going to be looking out for 170 mph Vipers coming up our six.

I don't think it's necessarily a reaction to people rich enough to pay the fines making public roads a racetrack - after all, I react the same way when some punk in a hopped-up Escort does it. And I'm sure all of these are experienced high-speed drivers in well-maintained automobiles capable of the speeds required. It's just that they're not the only ones on the road, and that these folks blowing by a student driver or a farmer in a combine or an Amish horse-wagon makes for a great sight gag in the movies, it really isn't that funny in real life. So call me a Scrooge.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

Maximillion Cooper, a raffish 30-year-old Londoner, came up with the idea of a public road race five years ago....The event, inspired by the classic Burt Reynolds road flick "Cannonball Run"....

Euro-trash meets trailer trash.

[txzman]

Yeah, its great fun - until one of these jerks plows into a van carrying a family full of kids at 140mph.

Me, me, mine. Pathetic little people with too little brains and too much money.

[Servant of the Nine]

Since the movie "Cannonball Run" was based on the real "Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash", the guy invented nothing.

SO9

[Tamzee]

Call me another Scrooge, I agree entirely... my father died in an auto accident when I was just 8 and my sister 4, leaving my mother a very young widow. There are real and tragic consequences if these "fun-lovers" make a tiny mistake at high speeds on a public roadway.

[Amalie]

Those of you interested in this thread should read Brock Yates great new book "Cannonball," about the original races in the 1970s, and why he stated he would never promote another one. This one is a joke; the originals were protesting the first 55 mph speed limits.

As for me, how about a Hemi 1969 Dodge Daytona at 200 mph on the speed-limitless Autobahn...

[Southack]

"Since the movie "Cannonball Run" was based on the real "Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash", the guy invented nothing."

Nonsense. What the driver in today's race invented was a way to get wealthy dilletantes to pony up $12,000 grand apiece, cater expensive parties, and bring their fancy cars to this guy's event.

For the Kato Kalin's of the OJ-level famous wanna-be's and hangers'-on, this sort of "event" is quite a coup. So what if he's driving in a petty Mini-Cooper while his rich neo-friends are driving Ferraris, this guy is the one who they are all talking about.

It's a side of life that Hollywood hasn't shown quite yet.

[joebuck]

"The event, inspired by the classic Burt Reynolds road flick "Cannonball Run, "

Actually, long before Cannonball Run there was a movie titled "Gumball Rally" about a no holds barred cross country auto race in exotic cars. I believe it starred Michael Sarazin. I imagine it was this move that inspired this event.

[ConservativeLawyer]

I'm a huge auto racing fan. But the public roads are no place for a race (unless its a controlled street course). These guys are rich enough to rent out their own race track. They should do so, that way the only folks at risk are those who willinging put themselves in harm's way by participating.

Furthermore, the drinking should be done AFTER the race, not before and during.

[IYAS9YAS]

Ya know, if I was rich enough and could afford to close down I-80 from Verdi, NV to Auburn, CA, I'd love to give that piece of road a try...once they fix the piece of crap road that it is.

One of these days, I'm gonna get myself some proper training for high-speed road racing and go try the Silver State Classic in Nevada. I would also love to try a rally where the drivers are rated on how well they do against the posted speed limits in antique vehicles.

They get a stop watch and a road map and have to get from point A to point B in x-amount of time. It's a blast and some people can be within seconds over a thousand miles.

[AFreeBird]

Since the movie "Cannonball Run" was based on the real "Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash", the guy invented nothing.

Yes, but this is called the Gumball, and IIRC the Movie: "Gumball Rally" came out before Reynolds did his Cannon Ball Run flick.

BTW: I really loved the Ferarri in GR racing through NYC in the wee hours of the morning with that nice, sweet 12 cyl sound echoing off the skyscraper canyons.

In any event, this guy in the article didn't invent anything.

[11B3]

MOPAR or NO CAR!

The Heartburn of a Chevrolet:
Constantly
Having
Every
Vehicle
Recalled
Over
Lousy
Engineering
Techniques

[Ichneumon]

BTW: I really loved the Ferarri in GR racing through NYC in the wee hours of the morning with that nice, sweet 12 cyl sound echoing off the skyscraper canyons.

Long ago I saw a "making of" feature about the movie "Gumball Rally" (released in 1976). The filmmakers were real car lovers, and took great care to properly match the right engine sounds and dashboard instrument shots to the right scenes. So when the film shows a Ferarri ripping along, you're actually hearing the Ferarri's engine on the soundtrack, in the correct gear and at the right speed. And so on.

Likewise for the sound of gearshifting, acceleration, and the tachometer/speedometer readings on the instrument shots.

Another film that did a good job of being true to the cars it depicts is the recent "Gone in 60 Seconds". For example, in one scene they steal a vintage Ford (GT500 model) by popping the hood and firing it up by shorting across a couple of the starter solenoid connection lugs. I had a couple of 1960's Thunderbirds, and I can personally attest that although they could have easily "faked" the scene with Hollywood props or a close-up of any random car's engine compartment and some bogus "wire twisting" shot, instead they did it right. I was impressed that the scene as actually shot depicts an actual 60's Ford starter solenoid, on the proper inside right fender mount, being shorted in the authentic way that actually engages the starter without a key in the ignition. The filmmakers really knew their car stuff, or had a consultant who did, and bothered to do the scene properly instead of just faking it.

[Blueflag]

I agree, actually. I raced for years in the SCCA and HSR (thus the moniker Blueflag).

The open public road is no place for racing.

Although, it was 'titilating' when the young lady in the Porsche said "if you can catch us, you can have us!"

[nvagvup]

Marin County????? What, they were trying to get to Vegas via the Great Circle Route????? Geeez. I hope those two got nailed for DUI.

[Blueflag]

They were trying to deceive their potential pursuers by taking a 'less-populated route' ...


;- )

[Delta 21]

[ConservativeLawyer]

I raced for years in the SCCA and HSR (thus the moniker Blueflag).

I guess you were shown the blue flag quite often! LOL! I'm sorry to hear that. That's a cool screen name.

p.s. For you NASCAR-types who don't know what the blue flag means, FreepMail me and I'll 'splain. :o)